and the Type 45 Destroyers, tasked with defending those aircraft carriers without planes, cannot be repaired under warranty when their engines breakdown when they operate in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf. Were they specified only for use on the Thames and Battersea Park Boating Lake?

Re: The Navy Lark

Anyone who has served in the navy, around about the time of that famous programme on the radio, will recognise many similar type events as depicted in the hilarious "goings on" on HMS TROUTBRIDGE... indeed, the REAL HMS TROUBRIDGE adopted the programme..

Re: The Navy Lark

I agree something seems to have gone wrong with the procurement process if the gas turbine systems can't handle the warmer water in the gulf and the Mediterranean. Gas turbines are the most sensitive primary mover to ambient conditions although this has always been known and should have been considered. Rolls Royce obviously knew enough to exclude it in their warranty. My favourite solution to maintain output in high ambient temperatures is fogging where water mist is injected into the air intake of the GT and this will give around 10% more output.

The cutting of a hole in the side of the vessel to insert a diesel generator headline is a cheap shot by the journalist as this will be standard operating procedure on a modern steel skinned vessel. It's not possible to arrange the routing for a change out of major component in the tight spaces allowed so the designers will have always proposed this.

To do is to be - NeitzscheTo be is to do - Kantdo be do be do - Sinatra

Re: The Navy Lark

Considering how hard it is to become an "ordinary" submariner, and the amount of training and practical work that the watchkeeping officers do to gain their dolphins and their "command" qualifications on the "Perisher" course at Portland. I find it unbelievable that the Officer - of - the - Watch did not see any ships, that could cause a problem, by using the periscope, before giving the command to "surface"...

Even if it were running just below the surface he should have been using the periscope occasionally for visual look out, I still cannot imagine how he missed seeing the tanker. ... they don`t move very fast.. (probably 15 knots).

Re: The Navy Lark

It`s not all about the electronics & gizmos, it is up to the Officer Of the Watch, to determine if it is safe for him to surface the sub, he can do that by checking the electronic sensors, and then a final "all round" check with the periscope to ensure that there are no visible signs of ships before giving the order to surface. ....

In theory, he should have known his position, relative to ANY surface vessel that had been detected previously, even up to an hour before.... as there should have been a tracking system showing the course(s) and speed(s) of any vessels in the immediate area. Poking up the periscope for a final check to see where those vessels were at the time of coming up to the surface, would have been a routine basic operation. ...